1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a hand-held pill crushing apparatus. It is intended to aid persons who are unable to swallow medicines in pill form and healthcare providers who have the task of crushing pills. This apparatus would eliminate the tedious process of crushing pills and tablets into a powdered form. This device can also be used in the field of veterinary medicine.
2. Description of Prior Art
There are manual ways to crush pills into a powdered form, however, elderly persons or persons who have undergone recent surgery may not have the strength necessary to crush pills using the traditional methods.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,636 to Calderon (1999) shows a hand-held pill crusher that requires the user to apply force in excess of that which an elderly person or someone who has undergone recent surgery may not have. As shown in FIG. 4 of Calderon""s patent, apertures 18A within the receiving member 18 would become clogged during the crushing process so that the powdered pill would not be able to fall through the apertures. Arthritic and post-surgery patients would have similar difficulty in applying the squeezing action necessary to operate the devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,003,523 to Doolittle (1977) and 5,178,337 to Lupoli (1993). The pressure necessary to operate the devices disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,915,637 and D405,889 to Parsons (1999) requires that user be able to apply his or her body weight to the device. Also, it appears that the use of the pouch (FIG. 6) required thereby would cause a loss of the prescribed dosage by (1) fragments of pills lodged within the indentations in the pouch due to the pressing action of the device and (2) powder adhering to the pouch as it is poured. Operationally, the device shown by U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,209 to Barson (2000) also requires the use of one""s body weight. This may prove difficult for persons who have recently undergone surgery. It is also noted that the preferred embodiment of the Barson patent uses paper cups. The residue of pills may remain in the paper cups leading to a loss of the prescribed dosage. Paper cups are also likely to become punctured during the pressing process. Although Barson states that the apparatus can be operated without paper cups, use of the crushing bowl that is taught alone would likely cause cross contamination if used for multiple medications.
U.S. Pat Nos. D337,828 to Gordon (1993) and D433,148 to Dennis (2000) show ornamental designs of a pill crusher that use a screwing technique to crush pills. These designs also would require excessive strength to crush solid tablets into a powdered form. A review of U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,549 to Sherman (1988) reveals a device similar to the patents of Gordon and Dennis, but containing protrusions either on the mortar or on the pestle for crushing tablets. The interior design of the mortar in Sherman""s patent, which is threaded internally, is such that the prescribed dosage once in powdered form would be lessened when it was transferred to another receptacle because it would tend to adhere to the internal threads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,666 to Sussman (1991) teaches a battery-operated portable pill crushing device. Although this device is portable, its size appears to be somewhat bulky and awkward for individual usage.
U.S. Pat. No. D310,731 to Lieptz (1990) shows an ornamental design for a pill splitter which is used to divide a single pill in half. However, depending on the size of the pill, it may need to be split more than once, requiring repeated uses of the device.
The combination of the simultaneous downward thrust and turning of the crushing member of the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,930 to Trombetti, Jr. (1983) is similar to the process that is used for child safety caps for medication. Elderly and arthritic persons find this process difficult to manage.
Other pill crushing or pulverizing references that applicant is aware of are as follows: U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,386 to Jensen (1996); U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,601 to Lavin, et al. (1992); U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,971 to Smith (1990); U.S. Pat. No. D310,564 to Besaw (1990); U.S. Pat. No. D285,966 to Porter (1986); U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,136 to Linden, et al. (1980); and U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,775 to Roseberg, et al. (1978).
In conclusion, there are many patents for pill/tablet crushing devices; however, all exhibit various problems and defects addressed by the present invention.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a hand-held pill crusher is an apparatus which uses a two-step process: first dividing the pill into smaller fragments and second, crushing the fragments into a powdered state. More specifically, through a closing action, blades contact a medication pill located on a pill rack to fragment the pill, and the fragments are then passed along to a crushing member where through a screwing technique the pill fragments are crushed into a powdered state.
Objects and Advantages
This two-step process is easy on the user in that less pressure is needed to crush fragments into powder than to crush a whole pill into powder.